


Hovering Slowly

by voidfoxstarlight



Series: Archivist Tim [1]
Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Different Powers, Archivist Tim Stoker (The Magnus Archives), Gen, Sexism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-06-22
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:02:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24579499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/voidfoxstarlight/pseuds/voidfoxstarlight
Summary: Slowly, life’s been slowly hoveringOver me, a force I’m still uncoveringSlowly, it’s stifling and the feeling’s strangeI can’t stand still and wait for things to change—The Altogether, "Slowly"Elias holds out a pen. “If you just sign here, you can start moving into the Archives on Monday.”Tim grips the pen, scowls at the paper, and scrawlsTimothy Stokeron the dotted line.
Relationships: Sasha James & Tim Stoker
Series: Archivist Tim [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1798540
Comments: 4
Kudos: 32





	Hovering Slowly

**Author's Note:**

> okay i held off on posting this for almost a month bc i wanted to make it like a full, proper length fic but i just dont have the patience to write that jhabscjbs. instead im gonna post oneshots from this au and probably make a series out of em.
> 
> this requires some suspension of disbelief because tim would never be the archivist bc he respects sasha so much. some dialogue bastardised from mag162.

Tim is about five seconds away from losing his shit and giving Elias a piece of his mind, as he is every time Elias opens his mouth, but that won’t end well for him _or_ Sasha. He takes a deep breath and says slowly, “I’m afraid I can’t accept the position.”

Elias raises one eyebrow, but doesn’t say anything.

Tim takes this as a signal to continue. “I don’t know the first thing about running an archive. But Sasha James, in Research—”

“Does not have seniority.”

Tim clenches his fist behind the desk. “I don’t think seniority should outweigh fulfilling qualifications. I cannot in good conscience accept this position when I know there is someone better qualified and more deserving of the job.”

Elias nods. “I thought you might say that. I’ll give you a few days to reconsider, yes?”

“A few days isn’t going to change my mind.”

“I’ll check in with you, regardless.” He shuffles some paperwork into a neat stack. “Thank you for your time, Mr. Stoker. Please close the door on your way out.”

Tim is angry, but he isn’t so foolish as to ignore a clear dismissal from the Head of the Institute. He _does_ close the door a little harder than is strictly necessary.

“What did Elias want?” Sasha asks when he gets back to his desk.

“To make me Head Archivist,” he mutters.

She goggles at him. “What? _No_ , really?”

“I _told_ him he should pick you instead, but he was all—” he makes air quotes— “‘Sasha doesn’t have _seniority_.’ Which is just a bullshit excuse he made up because he’s sexist.”

Sasha grimaces. “I can’t say I expected much else.”

“You should say something. I’m serious, Sash, you deserve that position.”

She shakes her head. “I’ve been in academia for ten years, I know how this goes. If I kick up a stink I’ll just get blackballed. Besides, I’ve been thinking about quitting anyway.”

Tim’s mouth drops open and he leans back in his chair. “Seriously? You would just—jump ship? And you didn’t tell me?”

“I mean, I don’t want to stay here if it means I’m going to keep bashing my head against the glass ceiling. I haven’t really been actively searching, but I’ve got a few alerts set up.”

Tim puts a hand over his heart in mock offense. “I can’t believe you’d just abandon our intense will-they, won’t-they storyline like that.”

She fixes him with a look of disapproval. “Uh, I’m pretty sure we established it’s ‘won’t they.’”

“No no no, see—”

A cough brings their attention to a couple desks away, where Jon is scowling at both of them.

Tim waves. “Sorry, Jon, we’ll be quiet.”

“Thank you,” he says, and goes back to reading something on his computer.

“You should take the job,” Sasha says at a volume more appropriate for an academic building.

“No _way_!” He ignores Jon’s second glare and leans across the desk. “Sasha, you—”

“Why not? You know damn well he’s not going to give it to anyone who actually deserves it—no offense—and this way you might get access to stuff that will help you with… you know.”

Tim’s chest tightens. “Dirty move, Sasha.”

“I didn’t mean it like that,” she huffs. “I’m not trying to— _manipulate_ you or something, I just… want you to get closure. You aren’t getting anywhere in the position you’re in now. It’s wearing on you, I can tell.”

Tim looks away and spins his chair a bit. She’s right, it would help. It’s an opportunity he’s been looking for since Danny died. It just feels so… sleazy. Underhanded. He sighs. “If… he hasn’t picked someone by the end of the week, I’ll say yes. But _only_ if he agrees to one condition.”

She raises her eyebrows. “Which is…?”

“You get transferred to the Archives. It… it’s less than what you deserve, but at least you’ll get a raise before you leave.”

“Thanks for trying, Tim.” She smiles ruefully and pats his arm. “Good luck.”

* * *

On Friday, Tim gets an email from Elias asking him to come to his office fifteen minutes before he leaves. Tim knocks on his door purposefully late. Just in case he needs some extra time to change his mind.

“Come in,” Elias calls. “Ah, Mr. Stoker. Have a seat.”

Tim sits in the uncomfortable chair across from Elias. “You wanted to see me?”

“Yes. I’ve given you a few days to consider taking the position of Head Archivist, as I said I would, and I’m hoping you’ve changed your mind since the last time we spoke.”

“I’ve considered it,” Tim says. “I’d like to add one stipulation to this deal of ours.”

“This isn’t a deal, Mr. Stoker, it’s a promotion.”

“Either way. I want Sasha James to be transferred to the Archival staff.”

Elias nods, like this was the plan all along. “Of course. Archivists have first pick of their assistants. Traditionally they have three, although by the end of Gertrude's tenure she preferred working alone. Ms. James will be transferred to the Archives so long as she is amenable to the move. Is that all?”

“I—” _No. I think you’re a dirty sexist pig and I hate how men like you keep trying to exclude people from your little rich boys’ club. You should give the whole damn Archives to Sasha because she deserves it._ “Yes.”

“Excellent.” He opens one of the files on his desk and plucks out a piece of paper, which he slides across the desk. Tim leans over to look at it. It’s the promotion form, entirely filled out save for the line where the Archivist is supposed to sign. He’d even gone and dated it already.

Elias holds out a pen. “If you just sign here, you can start moving into the Archives on Monday.”

Tim takes the pen. It’s got a pretty decent heft to it—expensive, probably. Waste of money. Tim grips the pen, scowls at the paper, and scrawls _Timothy Stoker_ on the dotted line.


End file.
